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Review:
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EYESBERG is a British-German outfit consisting of Malcolm
Shuttleworth on vocals, Norbert Podien (keyboards) and Georg
Alfter on guitar and bass that I accidently discovered on
progstreaming that captured my attention from the very first
few seconds, a serious bunch of older gentlemen who seemingly
are seasoned pros in the art of divine prog , sprinkled
with clever melodies, sparkling soloing and a truly inspiring
lead vocalist, all conspiring to dilute the interval between
accessible and creative. They enjoy muscular deliveries,
remindful at times of Spooky Tooth, Saga, Supertramp, as
well as obvious Genesis and early Marillion, applied with
deliberate talent and zealous confidence. Each piece has
a gargantuan melody, garlanded by smoking keyboards, furious
beat and manly guitar, I mean the instrumental foundation
is absolutely first rate, I even caught myself wondering
'who are these older dudes'? Recently, via a poll on PA
to find vocalists who could sing like Phil Collins (beyond
his son Simon), there were only a few candidates like Nad
Sylvan (Unifaun, Hackett) as well as Glenn MacLaughlin of
Iluvatar but my vote goes to Malcolm Shuttleworth , who
can ,and often is, a dead ringer for the ex-Genesis frontman.***
Effervescent synthesizer salvos greet the unsuspecting
listener, as a power riff cruncher then takes over with
solid rhythmic pressure courtesy of veteran drummer Ulf
Jacobs (Argos). "Child's Play" introduces a typical neo-prog
atmosphere, a stories universe of sound and verse that exudes
both warmth and intelligence. This is a fine opener, a harbinger
of what is to come, a series of bright, crisp and attractive
compositions firmly encamped in the neo camp.***
The spectacular "Epitaph" has Malcolm shadowing Uncle
Phil Collins rather brilliantly without any overt drool,
just a hefty load of melodrama to spur the moment along.
Norbert Podien has his ivories harrumphing like a slew of
elephants in a peanut gallery, blitzkrieg guitar flurries
help to elevate the pleasure but the rich melodies are the
main attraction.***
Right behind is another winner, the divine "Closed
Until the Resurrection" (now that is wordplay if I ever
read one) which motors right from the start with guzzling
guitar and slippery synth whooshes, the Collins reference
is immediate and strangely comforting, as if re-mindful
of what Genesis could have been , had it decided to remain
firmly a symph/neo-prog spearhead. A spooky keyboard mid-section
does wonders for the soul as Shuttleworth gets into his
storytelling mode , here closer to Fish than anyone else.
The guitar is both brash and splashy, equally entrancing
in rhythm or lead mode, highlighting an already delicious
track.***
The delicate flute ponders its place in the mixture,
veering initially into Ant Phillips circa The Ghost and
the Geese territory, as "Winter Gone" could have easily
been a prog radio hit as the tune just blooms into a lovely
balled dripping with Trick of the Tail era magic. Everything
impresses immediately and is extremely enjoyable.***
This same aura is repeated on the following "Inquisitive",
another lively affair that remains brief but playful. Prog-pop
is admittedly not everyone's cup of tea but on occasion,
you need some simple snack food to calm the urges and satisfy
the hunger for easily digestible fare. This is just pure
fun, nothing more, nothing less.***
The obvious crowning achievement here is "Feed Yourself"
an 8 minute prog slice that has a slow burning fuse intro
that will sweep one off their feet, a howling mellotron
hurricane that will blow you sideways. Malcolm really comes
across as a cool lead vocalist, doing a fine mix of Phil
Collins, Fish, Cy Curnin (The Fixx) and Michael Sadler.
The guitar blasts furiously, always in a riotous exaltation,
Jacobs slamming hard, while the synthesizers carve their
stone. Richly dense, the groove is relentless and awe-inspiring!
This should be heralded as a classic 2014 prog epic, a suave
box of candied musical arrangements and dramatic vocals
that cannot disappoint even the distant fan.***
After a brief intro, five songs are featured in intervals
of 5 and 3 minute pieces, showing their more accessible
side. "Faces on my Way" is perhaps a bit weaker than all
the previous glory but is still not filler by any stretch.
Just a slight jazzier approach, with fluid guitar and keyboard
interventions that inspire another solid vocal performance.
The 3 minute "Porcelain" is fast and furious, catchy and
fun as well as featuring some nimble back and forth soloing
between synths and axes. The attention to details is obvious,
a carefully clever manipulation of the senses, as the music
balanced between familiar and unexpected. This is best exemplified
in glowing colour on a track such as "If I told you the
truth", a pop song with balls, commercial at first but the
musical prowess soon shows itself to be seductively overwhelming.
I could have done without the 'baby' pseudo-R&B inserts
but that is nit-picking, the piece is a well-crafted, bombastic
and toe-tapping ride. "SII" is almost like a modern version
of "Smoke on the Water", staunch guitar riffing with juicy
solos and escorted by slippery supersonic synths flying
overhead, you will cream your jeans here, boys and girls!
Smooooookin'! The intent is again to highlight a sense of
enjoyment and not necessarily a stab at crowning the hopeless
charts, as music like this will never appeal to the current
market anyway, too many solos and sharp playing for such
an apathetic crowd. The disc finishes off with a Spooky
Tooth/Uriah Heep vibe on the next one, 'a real rockinrolla'!
bullied by a vituperative organ and a choppy blues style.
"Detachment and Replacement" is a fine finale.***
This is an ear catching debut album with some great
pieces, their next one should determine their place in prog
. I for one suggest to expand the progressive tendencies
even further and delve into even more complex arrangements
as well as wilder tonal explorations and maybe even reconnoiter
some more profound themes. A pleasant azure artwork seals
the teal (oops I mean, deal), a fantastic discovery that
needs a wider audience. Devout Genesis fans unite and search
out "Blue"!***
4 floating ocular cubes***
(Thomas
Szirmay)
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